There's nothing new about a player quitting abruptly and unexpectedly. Steffi Graf hung up her rackets after a second-round match in Carlsbad, Calif., in 1999, just weeks after winning the French Open and reaching the Wimbledon final. She appeared to be in the throes of an impressive comeback from assorted injuries, not at the end of the line.

But Dementieva's announcement was an even bigger surprise. Graf had won 22 major singles titles. At her last press conference as a player, she said she had nothing left to accomplish on tour. She was certainly right about that.

Dementieva famously did have something left to accomplish. You don't want to be remembered for what you failed to do, but that appears to be Dementieva's fate. Every sport has a "best that never won the big one." Mark Martin never managed to become NASCAR's champion. Ernie Banks doesn't have a World Series ring. Dan Marino couldn't make it happen in the playoffs. And Dementieva never won a Slam. In the majors, she reached the final round twice and had her run ended in the semifinals seven times.

She's 29, which is old-ish for a tennis player, but she appeared to be a late bloomer. Her career best year-end rankings came in 2008 (4th) and 2009 (5th). And she was so close to breaking through at the majors this year -- especially at the French Open, where all that stood between her and the trophy were journeywoman Francesca Schiavone and big-time newcomer Samantha Stosur. Dementieva had won her three previous meetings against the Italian, and she owned a 4-2 record against Stosur. Elena had to retire midmatch against Schiavone with a serious calf injury.

Being so close only to be derailed by injury might have been the final gut-punch for her. Maybe she decided it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe she got tired of the chase. Maybe she didn't bounce back from that calf injury as well as she had from previous scrapes and didn't want to slowly deteriorate in front of our eyes.

Whatever the case, let's hope Elena Dementieva isn't only remembered as a great player who didn't win the big one. Coming along at the same time as reality TV, sexpot Anna Kournikova, Martina "Chucky" Hingis and lineswoman-scourge Serena Williams, Dementieva represented class in a classless age. She was unassuming. She didn't bray or strut -- even though she could have. She's better looking than Kournikova and had a winner-on-any-shot game that lent itself to a Jimmy Connors-like smirk and hip waggle.

But she was raised well. (Her mother, wringing her hands on every point, traveled with her throughout her career.) She played because she loved the game and the competition, not because she had a chip on her shoulder. She didn't have to prove anything to the world to make herself feel OK. Dementieva's impact on tennis was apparent on the faces of the other players on court when she announced her retirement at the WTA Championships. Every one of her colleagues was crying.

And, who knows, history might be good to her. She won the 2008 Olympic gold medal, besting Serena along the way. Olympic tennis is slowly gaining prestige -- all the top players now want to add gold to their collection. In 10 years, it could be just as important as a Grand Slam title. Dementieva also excelled in Fed Cup, where she led Russia to four titles. If the World Cup of Tennis idea comes to fruition for both the men and women, Fed Cup likewise will rise in prestige.

So Elena Dementieva has retired, but that doesn't mean we should count her out.